A. Mason Carpenter's picture
A. Mason Carpenter from USA is reading The Power of Myth, by Joseph Campbell October 1, 2011 - 6:07pm

This is not just a self promotion post.  Notice I did not even put a link.  I really want to know if my ideas make people say, "Hey, I should read that..."

 

Until the early twenty first century, Normal, Texas was a quiet college town. Then, devoured by the creeping urban sprawl of the ‘Plex, it is a crossroads of fate for four unlikely heroes. In a post-automotive age of debt economics and automated coffee houses, the summer heat of 2040 makes everyone a little crazy. With the help of a departed alien space probe and a deceased genetic engineer, Normal becomes the focus of history making events. Swept up by this history, are our four heroes:


Warren Mulberry – A homeless man, he makes a living by finding treasure in the garbage. He collects antique electronics and spends time reading at the local library annex. Warren is content in his spartan life, but lonely. This all changes when he makes an unlikely new friend.


Annette Carroll – Fourteen years old and a high school graduate, this serious young woman is disappointed in her new taco assembly job. Constantly battling sexual harassment and her own compulsive behavior, Annette dreams of finding her runaway sister. With the help of her insatiable curiosity and a mysterious ally, she embarks on a new career.


Benito Alvarado – A hard-working telecommuter and toy collector, Benny has not left his grandmother’s house in thirteen years. After making a careless request to a stranger, he learns that life is very different than his favorite anime.


Alice Brae – A free spirited world traveler, Alice roams the Earth, unaware of the millions who watch her exploits on the net. When she is recruited as a diplomat by a tribe of natives, she must come to terms with her dark past and her public life.

In a world hungry for miracles, we find the miraculous all around us. In a Texas desperate for change, we find the origin of superheroes.

Chester Pane's picture
Chester Pane from Portland, Oregon is reading The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz October 2, 2011 - 1:42pm

Mason,

Probably. But you need to write it first, right? I suppose that's part of the reason you joined LitReactor. If you can scrape together the tuition for one of the Intensives, I would highly recommend taking this quality synopsis into one that suits your needs.

I forget, did I see that you joined the Workshop?

Charles's picture
Charles from Portland is reading Mongrels by Stephen Graham Jones October 2, 2011 - 1:51pm

i'd read a story about a dust speck having an existential debate with the asteroid he lives on, while hurdling through the cosmos... if it was well written and somehow compelling.

but i might say that having four heroes, and therefore potentially four narrators is a little ambitious, even for a professional author. you might want to consider finding out which one is most likely to carry a book, and have that one encounter the others.

just a suggestion.

 

EDIT: in fact, the fourteen year old girl might be an interesting choice, if you follow my suggestion, since her journey might put her in contact with the widest variety of people, and perilous situations

Chester Pane's picture
Chester Pane from Portland, Oregon is reading The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz October 2, 2011 - 1:52pm

And a damn good one at that.

Jenny Hanniver's picture
Jenny Hanniver from Wyoming is reading everything she can get her hands on as a general rule October 2, 2011 - 2:55pm

I would read the shit out of it, in fact.

Nick Wilczynski's picture
Nick Wilczynski from Greensboro, NC is reading A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin October 2, 2011 - 3:02pm

It sounds interesting.

A. Mason Carpenter's picture
A. Mason Carpenter from USA is reading The Power of Myth, by Joseph Campbell October 2, 2011 - 4:07pm

"quality synopsis"

Wow, thanks for that.  Can I call that a review? -insert clever ascii smiley-

"but i might say that having four heroes, and therefore potentially four narrators is a little ambitious, even for a professional author. you might want to consider finding out which one is most likely to carry a book, and have that one encounter the others."

Yeah, I really thought a lot about how to structure the story.  I finally decided that multiple points of view were called for, as "struggles for class identity in a changing economy" is a major theme.  The finished project will be more like 4 short novels that intertwine a bit.  A simultaneous quadralogy.  Wow, I just impressed myself.  It is turning out to be a pretty long book, 130k words plus at the beginning of the third act.  It could go as long as 175k by the time I finish.  So I have a lot of room to tell multiple stories.

"I would read the shit out of it, in fact,"

I will try to include lots of shit for Jenny to read out, as well. -insert another clever ascii smiley-  Seriously, that is good to hear.

"It sounds interesting."

It is interesting to me, and I am glad it seems interesting to others as well.

 

Thank you all for your kind input.  I am working hard to get this book ready to go as soon as possible.  I am by no means an accomplished or practiced writer, but we all have to start somewhere.  Opinions are helpful, and I thank you for sharing yours.

 

AMC

 

Jenny Hanniver's picture
Jenny Hanniver from Wyoming is reading everything she can get her hands on as a general rule October 2, 2011 - 4:26pm

Given that our young friend Annette Carroll is assembling tacos, and if we posit that said tacos are similar to those from Taco Bell, we can safely assume that the "meat" in question contains plenty for me to read out.

But seriously, literate dystopia will always find readers.  Me included.